We invite our whole family to come over for dinner on Sundays. If everyone came we could have up to 27, but usually we have 10-12. I do most of the cooking because Marieta could be happy never cooking another meal in her life, and she would rather set up tables and do the dishes.

On February 2, 2012, known by some as Super Bowl Sunday, Joe, Ellen, David and their families came over, so there were 16 of us. We were having finger foods. I spent the first half of the game cooking and serving the food, catching only glimpses of the game and the commercials.

By the end of the second quarter, the grandkids were ready for something other than the game. I spent half-time getting them settled downstairs with Peter Pan on the big screen.

Just as I sat down for the second half, Ashley, David’s oldest, came up and asked me to watch Peter Pan with her. I spent the 3rd quarter with Peter on the screen and Ashley snuggled against my arm.

Just before the start of the fourth quarter, David, Ellen and their kids left for home. As I sat down to watch the last part of the game, Shelby, age 2, came in with Julie and Casey. Shelby looked at me and said, “Yo Gabba Gabba” and “Let’s jump.” Yo Gabba Gabba is her favorite show, and “jump” means jumping on the huge family room sectional couch. Downstairs we watched Yo Gabba Gabba while Shelby jumped, danced and sang along. We finished just as the game ended.

Later in the week I would watch all the commercials commercial-free on Hulu and the fourth quarter while on the elliptical. I was happy for the Giants, but I was even happier for me. Grandkids are so much more fun than anything else, and I didn’t have to watch even a second of Madonna.